Clip to keep in engagement the ends of shoestrings or other fasteners



Sept. 2, 1941. p OKIE 2,254,579

CLIP TO KEEP IN ENGAGEMENT THE ENDS 0F SHOESTRINGS OR OTHER FASTENERSFiled NOV. 18, 1940 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECLIP TO KEEP IN ENGAGEMENT THE ENDS OF SHOESTRINGS OR OTHER FASTENERSHoward Pitcher Okie, Washington, D. 0., assignor of one-fourth toBenjamin S. Bell, Washington, D. 0., and one-fourth to Louise A. Green,Washington, D. 0.

Application November 18, 1940, Serial No. 366,191

2 Claims.

keep together adjacent parts of shoes or other articles of dress, and,at the same time, to facilitate the disengagement of the ends of suchfasteners, thus entirely obviating the necessity of tying or untyingknots.

The invention is an improved article of manufacture of novelconstruction hereinafter described and claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my improved device in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the clip in use; Figure 2 is aside elevation of the clip as it appears when not in use; the device isof two elements, and Figure 3 shows the contained, or inner, member; itis made of stainless, tempered steel and functions as a spring; Figure 5is the containing element, or shell; it must be made of a rigidsubstance and I prefer to employ plastic phenolite as it may be ofdifferent colors and shades to make a harmonious effect; in this figure,is an orifice to permit the emergence of the knob K as shown in Figure3; DD in Figures 3, 4 and 5 are angular depressions made in the ceilingsof each element so placed that when assembled the ridges in the underside of the ceiling of the shell will enmesh with the grooves in theroof of the inner or contained element. CC in Figure 5 are curvedopenings or slots to facilitate the placing of laces or strings between,re-

spectively, the ceiling of the container and the roof of the innerelement; this act is performed while the two elements are temporarilyseparated at the top by depressing the knob K; before releasing thatpressure the strings to be secured are drawn taut, they thus becomechords of the arcs (5C and will traverse the grooves of the containedmember and will be tightly held in place when the pressure upon K isremoved and the ridges and grooves tend to enmesh. Figure 4 is a crosssection through the center of the projecting knob K of the device whenassembled but is not in use; Figure 6 is a plan of the upper surface ofthe clip as it appears when, in use.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and what Idesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastener for shoe laces, cords and ribbons comprising a rigid shellhaving a wall provided with a pair of curved slots and an openingbetween the slots, an angular depression in said Wall between saidopening and each of said solts, and a resilient member within the shellhaving means adapted to register with said depressions and provided witha knob projecting through said opening.

2. A fastener for shoe laces, cords and ribbons comprising a rigid shellhaving a wall provided with a pair of curved slots and an openingbetween the slots, a resilient member within the shell and forming aclamp with said wall of the shell, and a projection on said resilientmember disposed in said opening.

HOWARD P. OKIE.

